Improved cotton-bale tie



UNITED STATES PATENT CEETcE.

JOSEPH OROOKES, OF S'I. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND i JOSEPH W. BRANCH, OF SAME PLACE.

IM PROVED COTTON-BALE TIE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 91,091, dated J une 8, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, J osEPE CRooKEs, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Bale Tie; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to locking or tying devices, such as are usually used to secure the ends of the metallic bands or hoops which are used to confine bales of cotton, hemp, rags, hay, and similar stuffs.

The nature of said invention is in the use of a joint-rivet for holding` the ends of the bands against the tension caused by the bale, and in the application of a locking-piece in connection with said rivet, which shall prevent the bands from lifting off from said rivet, and thus from disengaging from each other, unless removed by the operator, as hereinafter shown.

To enable those herein skilled to make and use my said invention, I will now more fully describe the same, referring` to the accompanying Figures 1, 2, and 3, respectively, as top plan, side view, and bottom plan of the bands or hoops locked by this improved tie, and to Fig. 4 as a plan, showing the band ends when disconnected.

AA' represent the ends of theusual wroughtiron baling band or hoop.

In arranging said band as in the nature of this invention, the rivet hole or holes a are made, by punching, drilling, or otherwise, in the end A.

To the end A', I connect the locking-piece B of the general form indicated in the several figures. Said locking-piece may be riveted to the end A' by rivets b, or the said connection may be made by the jointrivet C, by which the engagement of the band ends A and A' is to be secured.

The said rivet C is formed to iit the holes a in the other end, A, of the band, and said rivet is fitted firmly into the end A', and may be riveted over in the locking-piece B.

The locking-piece B has the top plate B1,

which rests along the upper edge of the band A', and, being secured by the rivets C and b, (or either thereof,) strengthens said end of band materially.

At opposite corners of the plate B there are therewith connected the ear-pieces B2, generally as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

The forward edge of each ear-piece B2 is beveled, so as to increase the distance between the upper surface thereof and the under surface of the band A'.

In order to bring the ends A and A' to a lock, I place the end A upon the end A', in the position indicated by red lines in Fig. 4, the rivet C passing through the hole a. rlhe band will then be twisted about the axis of the rivet C to achieve said position. Upon releasing the bands the ends A A' will draw to a parallel position, and the end A will pass under the ears B2, and be thus held. The position of parts in the lock thus achieved is such that unless the band ends are twisted back to the position of intersection indicated in red and black lines in Fig. 4, said parts cannot be lifted off from the rivet O and be disconnected from each other, and owing to the material which said band usually surrounds and secures it is plain that said ends A A' cannot achieve the position requiredfor unlocking, and the lock is therefore essentially secure, and said band, joined and secured as aforesaid, will thus form an efficient bale-band. Moreover, owing to the juxtaposition of the ends A and A', and owing to their direct connection with the rivet O, the strain caused by the compressed material encircled by the band is to shear said rivet, and then a comparatively smaller strain upon the locking-piece B, which may therefore be constructed of less weight and strength than in such lockin g devices in which the strain more immediately reaches the locking-piece or buckle.

In the more usual con-struction of my said improved device the backing-plate B1 will be placed uppermost, and the parts A' A will be thereunder, while the rivet O will project through said parts A and A' ,and be toward the material of the bale, thus being shielded against dislodginent by contusions in handling and storing,` the bales, and the ear-pieces The locking-piece B, arranged with ear- Bl Willbe similarly protected. pieces B2 and riveted to the end A,-When com- By the beveled surfaces of the ear-pieces Bl bined with the joint-rivet C and the end A, the ends A A', when locked, are forced to lie substantially as herein set forth.

closely against each other, While they are JOSEPH CROOKES. readily entered in adjusting the tie. Witnesses:

Having thus fully described my invention, GEO. l?. HERTHEL, J r., what I claim is WM. W. HERTHEL. 

